Part Time Nobody
by RewriteThisStory
Summary: College AU. Karen and Ana are performing arts majors who meet Kyle in a horrendous required English class. Through Kyle they meet his roommate, Jimmy- a part time student/ part time bartender and the four quickly become good friends. Karaoke and a bar napkin will change everything.
1. Chapter 1

**Until now, I have had zero ideas for non-canon fics for this show. But somehow finally finishing that monster actually sparked a new idea. **

**This will be SIGNIFICANTLY shorter than the last, maybe 10 chapters? I have a rough outline, but it will probably be slow to update- real life, work and all. But I'll work on it whenever I can. Slow and steady DO finish the race- eventually. **

**I've added my Tumblr to my profile. Come chat. I've missed you guys!**

/

It was going to be one of _those_ mornings, she could already tell.

With a grimace at the window and a heavy sigh, Karen gathered her resolve and opened her car door.

She hit the release button on her umbrella as quickly as the space allowed and angled out of the car. "Never fast enough," she muttered to herself, looking down at her rain splattered clothing, shaking her head.

"You ready for this?" she called over the roof of the car to Ana, who was securing her raincoat tighter around her waist and adjusting her hood.

Ana's short 'do allowed for things like hoods- her hair could probably stand on end and look like she meant it to do that. Karen however, would've had hat hair for the rest of the day- and nothing short of a flat iron and more time that she had available on Wednesdays would remedy it.

Today probably should have been a ponytail day anyway. She could practically feel her hair frizzing in the damp air.

Ana shook her head and adjusted her bag to sit more comfortably on her shoulder, "No- but we should probably get going anyway- we _really_ don't want to be late to class- and we aren't getting any drier."

Nodding, Karen joined Ana on the sidewalk. Heads down against the rain, the two girls walked briskly to the nearby building. They paused in the lobby, scuffing their feet and shaking the excess water off their jackets before climbing the single flight of stairs to their classroom.

They claimed their usual seats in the middle of the room- not close enough to the front to attract notice and not far enough to the back to call unwanted attention to themselves.

Karen tossed her mostly dry jacket over the chair behind her. Kyle would arrive soon and he'd die if he had to sit in the front again. She opened her book and looked over the notes she'd made about the reading assignment while she waited for class to begin.

Kyle slipped in the room moments before their professor was due. "I thought I was going to be late!" he fretted as he slid into his chair. "I hope she didn't recognize me as I ran past her on the stairs," he frantically tugged his jacket off, shoving it under his seat.

"Why?" Karen asked curiously.

He still had about a minute to spare. Their professor was a stickler about not being late, but she never started early either.

"Um, I MAY have bumped her arm…" he began. Karen made a small noise in her throat. "She didn't spill her coffee though!"

The woman in question chose that moment to walk through the door. Kyle buried himself in his bag, peeking around Karen to try to gauge the mood of their professor.

On a good day it was bad- but on a bad day… well, it was appropriate that it was a Shakespeare class. On a bad day, it closely resembled a Shakespearean tragedy. And on test days the body count was nearly as high.

Which explained why everyone put off taking this class for as long as possible. Karen and Ana were forced here by a cruel requisite of all performing arts majors and Kyle's current misfortune stemmed from his desire to be a writer- prompting him to select English as his discipline four years ago.

All three had spent the semester questioning their decision making abilities- and wondering if a lifetime of working at Walmart would really be so bad- if it meant NOT taking this class.

The one silver lining of the class was that they had met each other. Karen and Ana had been roommates since sophomore year, having spent most of their freshman year taking the same classes. Kyle was the belated third pea in the pod the two girls had formed almost the moment they met nearly four years ago.

Roughly an hour later, the trio had survived another class, "One more down… how many more to go?"

"I don't even want to think about it," Ana groaned.

"Too many," Kyle agreed.

Karen shrugged, "So what do you guys want to do tonight?"

Wednesdays were their long days- but Thursdays didn't start until late morning. To celebrate, they usually went to dinner together, which often led to a bar or a movie afterwards. Sometimes Kyle's roommate Jimmy joined them.

Jimmy was (usually) another reason Karen was glad to have met Kyle. The dark haired bartender and part time student pushed every button she possessed- both good and bad. But she enjoyed hanging out with him most of the time- and even when he drove her crazy, she couldn't deny that he was very easy on the eyes.

"That new place downtown has karaoke- we could check it out," Ana offered.

"Oo! Let's!" Kyle nodded vigorously.

Karen fidgeted with her jacket, "Would Jimmy want to come? I mean, I don't really see him as the karaoke type. Not that he has to come…" she backtracked. She shrugged, "But um… he missed last week because of work... and I don't want him to feel left out," she finished lamely.

Kyle and Ana exchanged a knowing look- amused at Karen's failed attempt to be subtle. In the short months of their friendship, Kyle and Ana had a started a pool involving how long it would take before Karen and Jimmy either killed each other or ended up pressed against a wall together, naked.

So far, the stubbornness of their friends had surprised them, leading both to select new dates more than once.

Kyle laughed, "Oh, he can sing," he assured them confidently. "It usually takes a few beers…" he trailed off. "But he'll come. I'll text him now- let him know." Kyle pulled out his phone, typing quickly. "How about we meet there at seven?" The girls agreed and he sent his message.

He slipped his phone back in his pocket and headed out the door, pulling up his hood before he stepped into the deluge.

The girls watched him slosh through the puddles on the sidewalk- which were definitely deeper than they were an hour ago. With a last resigned look at each other, Karen and Ana opened the door and hustled to their next class- in the theater building, across campus.

It was going to be a long day.

/

**What do you think?  
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	2. Chapter 2

Karen and Ana, now wearing dry clothes and fresh makeup, left their apartment and headed towards the new bar in town. Thankfully it had stopped raining a couple hours ago.

It was a short walk to downtown and they always felt silly when they drove the few blocks.

Kyle and Jimmy had already arrived and secured a table by the time they got there. Karen sat down, stealing Jimmy's beer to take a drink. "Hey!" he objected.

She grinned, sliding the beer back to him. He had no one to blame but himself- he'd started it a few weeks ago. It had been a bad day and he'd picked up the first drink he saw on the table and drained it- which happened to be Karen's Jack and coke. Since then it'd become a running joke.

"You drank like half of it!" he complained, picking up the bottle again. He jabbed a finger in her direction, "You're buying the next round."

"Fine," she replied, standing back up. "But I'm getting a pitcher. I'm not buying by the bottle tonight- I hear it takes a few to get you to sing," she teased.

"Oh, I'm not singing," Jimmy scoffed. "I just came to watch the professionals at work."

"Go get the pitcher," Kyle stage whispered behind his hand, winking. Jimmy punched him in the arm in reply.

A few minutes later, Karen returned, setting the pitcher and glasses on the table. They ate, drank and laughed at the first brave souls try their hand at karaoke. As expected, most of them failed miserably.

Ana dragged Karen onstage and picked "Beautiful Liar" to sing together. She dedicated it to "Dev- and all the assholes like him." Karen rolled her eyes, laughing. Ana was already a little tipsy.

Last summer, Karen's boyfriend Dev had made the mistake of propositioning Ana while drunk at a party. To his dismay, she told Karen what happened. Not long after, Karen discovered that Ana was not the only one he'd hit on since they'd started dating several months prior- and one of the only ones that hadn't ended up in bed with him.

It must have been the accent- Ana doubted his lectures on government policy or city planning got anyone's motor running.

Karen ended their relationship, swore off poli-sci majors on principal, and hadn't spoken to him since.

As the song began they traded lines, stalking circles around each other, eyes locked. During the verses they danced, rolling and shaking their hips like Shakira- which of course caught the attention of most of the male population of the bar- and the interest of several of the female patrons too.

Jimmy was no different. He found that he couldn't take his eyes off Karen. It may as well have been a solo for all he noticed Ana. Onstage, Karen was captivating, throwing herself into the song. When song ended, he glanced at Kyle- who was applauding wildly.

Kyle had been teasing him for weeks about having a crush on Karen- which he'd adamantly denied. However after that performance, he was starting to worry that his best friend may have a point.

He took a long drink of his beer.

/

The night went on, and the singing continued. Ana and Kyle picked "This Will Be Our Year," alternating verses, dancing and twirling around the stage as they sang. Their group grew when Sam, a friend of Ana and Karen's from their major joined them. He dragged Karen onstage to laugh their way through "You're the One that I Want."

When Karen came back to the table, she flopped down in the seat next to Jimmy, stealing his glass to take a drink. "You know yours is like, right there, right?" He laughed, pointing to glass not six inches away.

Karen shrugged, "This was closer." She set his beer down. "Ok Jimmy, your turn."

"Alright." He picked up his drink and drained it.

She shoved his shoulder, almost making him spit out his mouthful of beer. "No, dummy- it's your turn to _sing_!"

"Well, I would, but I have a three drink minimum before singing- and someone keeps drinking my beer," he teased.

"Oh come on, show us what ya got!" Ana challenged from across the table.

"I'm good." He sat back in his chair, "I can sit here, and enjoy the show just fine- without making a fool of myself."

"You said three drink minimum- that's your fourth- get up there and sing." Karen pushed him in the direction of the stage. He grabbed the edge of his chair to avoid falling out of it.

"Come on, we've all done it- and you know you can sing- stop acting like you can't." Kyle ordered. "Besides, if you don't go sing now, I think that blonde who screeched her way through "My Immortal" is going to get back up there."

"Maybe we'll get lucky and the guy who 'Shatner-ed' "I Walk the Line" will beat her to it." Ana offered.

"Come on, Jimmy…" Karen pretended to whine, "Come on…" she tugged on his arm like an insistent four year old.

Jimmy rolled his eyes, "Fine." He got up, "Don't say I didn't warn you!" he threatened over his shoulder as he walked toward the stage.

After a brief conversation with the DJ, Jimmy took the stage, his face serious as he stared at the monitor, waiting for the song to begin.

A sustained chord from an electronic keyboard filled the bar. A bass guitar and a chime joined to set up the beat of the familiar tune. When Sambora and his talk box began, there was no mistaking the song- and the table dissolved into giggles.

Jimmy grinned at them before belting out, "Tommy used to work on the docks..."

Kyle wasn't overselling when he said Jimmy could sing. As the song progressed, he got into it- jumping around the stage and slapping the hands of those sitting nearest it.

At the end of the song, he returned to their table, triumphant. He settled into his chair to the cheers and laughs of his friends.

"Did you really just hair band us?" Kyle laughed.

"Hey- watch it. You're the one who wanted karaoke," Jimmy said, defending his song choice.

"You were awesome!" Karen crowed. "Why aren't you going to school for that?"

Jimmy's grin fell, "Yeah, right." He scrubbed a hand through his hair, "It's just something I do when I have a couple beers in me." He watched his thumb run through some condensation on his glass, shaking his head. "Nothing special."

Kyle made a noise of protest.

"Yeah, _that_ was nothing special," Ana added sarcastically. Jimmy rolled his eyes and took a drink of his beer.

"You think that was good…?" Kyle challenged. "Hey Jimmy- go sing "Under Pressure," he jerked his head toward the stage.

"Or… you could go to Hell, Kyle." Jimmy shot back without heat. He smiled at his friend, tipping his glass to him before drinking.

"Or not... How about this- there's a beer pong table in the back- I saw it when I went to the bathroom. I win- you sing- and _you_ gotta do the note."

"Wait. You can do that?" Karen interrupted, Sam and Ana sat forward in interest.

Jimmy grinned over his glass, ignoring the question. "You. _You're_ challenging me to beer pong?" he asked, his eyes dancing. "Sure, Kyle. I'll play. And if you win, I'll even sing the note," he agreed magnanimously. He stood up still grinning, confident he had nothing to worry about.

The group followed them to the back with their pitcher. A few minutes into the game, it was clear that Kyle was overmatched.

Karen plucked the ball from Kyle's cup, "I want a try." She tossed the ball into Jimmy's cup with precision.

"Hey! This is between me and Kyle-" Jimmy protested.

"Drink!" Kyle cried happily, pointing to the cup.

Jimmy drank, pretending to glare at Karen over his cup.

On Kyle's next turn, Sam retrieved the ball, bouncing it into another of Jimmy's drinks.

"You guys all suck." Jimmy picked up the cup, grumbling about cheaters.

And so it continued, Karen, Ana and Sam neatly eliminating cup after cup, until Jimmy had one left to Kyle's two.

Sam aimed and took his shot. With a quiet plop, it landed in Jimmy's beer. Karen let out a whoop, spinning around in a victory dance, hands above her head.

He let out a sigh, feigning irritation. He threw back the last of his beer, and pointed at them with the cup still in hand. "Fine- but you bunch of colluding losers have to sing too. I didn't sign up to play against a beer pong tag team."

They agreed and trooped back into the main room of the bar.

As the song played, the group traded lines, each choosing their favorites until they got to the line in question. They turned toward Jimmy who rolled his eyes before taking his breath, readying himself to demand,'why?' for the next fifteen seconds.

As his voice soars through the notes of the single syllable question, the jaws of the bar- and the group on stage collectively fell open.

Sam recovered himself first, jumping in for the next verse only two words late.

As the last "pressure" faded into nothing the group took a bow to the loud applause of the bar. They hopped off the stage and returned to their table.

"Holy shit, Jimmy!" Ana slapped his arm, "If you ever call _that_ nothing again, I'll…" she punched his arm again- unable to think of a strong enough threat.

The night was winding down by then, so Sam took his leave, citing a nine am class.

Karen and Ana stayed to finish their beer, but had get home as well. Jimmy and Kyle offered them a ride which they accepted. It was much later than they'd originally planned to be home.

The girls got ready for bed with Karen humming "Living on a Prayer". Ana rolled her eyes and said goodnight, closing the door to her room.

/

**What did you think?**


	3. Chapter 3

A few days later Ana had to meet with some group members to practice for a scene they were doing together Monday.

Since there was no food in their apartment, Karen decided to go with Kyle to the restaurant where Jimmy worked for dinner. Kyle was going anyway- that was the ONLY reason she was going. And it was Kyle's idea. He invited her.

And she was curious- about the restaurant. Karen had never eaten there, after all. It was some distance from campus and she and Ana usually ate at places that were within walking distance of their apartment- or that delivered. Trying to find a parking place near their apartment was second only to a root canal on her list of 'fun things to do in her spare time'- so they tried to drive as little as possible.

They arrived to find that the restaurant was already busy- but there were still seats at the bar- which is where they'd wanted to sit anyway.

They climbed onto the bar stools and waved at Jimmy.

He nodded at them, letting them know he'd be with them as soon as he was done with the customers at the end of the bar.

He was surprised to see them there- not Kyle so much- he came in fairly regularly and had mentioned earlier that day that he might stop by. Karen showing up was new though.

He watched her out of the corner of his eye as he filled the order he'd just taken. He'd thought about Karen a lot since Wednesday. Not that he'd admit that out loud.

Having served their drinks, he forced himself to focus on the couple in front of him and their food order. But he couldn't help wondering what made Karen decide to come in tonight.

He knew Kyle had invited her and Ana before, but they hadn't ever taken him up on it.

A hand gesture snapped him out of his reverie. Jimmy blinked and asked the gentleman to repeat how he wanted his steak cooked.

After what seemed like a small eternity, Jimmy finally made it down to Kyle and Karen.

"Hey guys… what brings you out tonight?" His gaze lingered on Kyle, raising his eyebrows meaningfully.

Kyle shrugged subtly in response.

Karen leaned on the bar, answering for both of them, "I didn't feel like Apple Jacks for dinner and Kyle said he was coming to see you," she smiled at him. "And I wanted to... " she stopped herself, "Um, I wanted something that wasn't cereal," she finished awkwardly.

Jimmy bent down to retrieve a menu from under the bar. He smiled back at her, patting it as he slid it in front of her, "Well, you've come to the right place- no cereal here."

She giggled- probably more than the joke warranted.

They placed their order and Jimmy left to tend to another customer.

They didn't get to talk to him much as the bar filled up. But he stopped by whenever he had a minute.

Karen didn't mind too much, she liked watching him work. She liked watching the way his eyes lit up when he smiled or laughed with the other patrons. Or the way his shoulders and arms worked under his fitted black shirt as he wiped down the bar or pulled glasses from the rack above his head. Or how his hands deftly mixed and garnished drinks, his every movement practiced and precise.

And she enjoyed talking with Kyle. He had so many ideas for stories- some for movies, some for books- even one for a play. And his sharp witted observations of the other patrons in the restaurant were amusing- and probably startlingly accurate.

They finished their food and ordered another round of drinks, nursing them as they chatted and half-watched the TV behind the bar.

Kyle checked the time and stood up suddenly, "Oh! I need to get home! I have to submit a paper by eight tomorrow morning."

Karen looked at him, confused. "Who has a deadline at eight am on a Saturday?"

"Sadist English professors- that's who. This one is almost as bad as our lovely Shakespeare troll."

Karen shuddered.

"They CLAIM they're doing you a favor- extending the deadline- but really they're just ruining our Friday night. They KNOW we all wait til the last minute." He drained the last of his drink. "You ready to go?" He glanced at Karen's half full drink.

Jimmy returned in time to hear the last, "You could stay if you want- I get off in less than an hour. I could take you home."

Kyle looked over at him in surprise. Jimmy gave a small shrug. He wasn't sure he wanted to look too closely at what prompted it either.

Karen looked between the two friends, settling on Jimmy, "Um, ok- if you're sure…" She turned to Kyle, "And you don't mind?"

Kyle shook his head, "Not at all. The quicker I get home and started, the better." He picked up his coat, "I'll see you Monday. Hey- don't forget we've got that essay due."

Karen groaned, "Don't remind me. I've barely started it- at least it's only 1500 words."

Kyle laughed as he put on his jacket, "Yeah- too bad this one isn't so short."

After Kyle left, Karen toyed with her drink, watching as Jimmy cashed out the last customers and began closing down for the night. He brought the register till over to where she sat, counting out the money, marking down each amount on a napkin. They didn't speak much- mostly small talk until he'd turned the drawer in to his manager.

When he came back, he had his coat. "You ready?"

"Sure, thanks again for the ride, by the way."

"Hey," Jimmy began slowly. "You wanna get a drink? It's been a long night."

She smiled at him, shrugging. "I suppose I could have one more drink."

"Oh, right- uh, you sure? I can take you home first."

Worried that she may have lost her chance to spend more time with him, her voice was sharper than she intended when she answered. She mentally chided herself for sounding so eager. "No," she repeated more calmly. "It's fine. Let's go!"

He huffed a laugh and opened the door, letting her go first.

/

Somewhat surprisingly, conversation flowed between them easily, despite having not spent time alone together. Kyle or Ana had always been around as a buffer- which was sometimes a good thing when the two of them butted heads.

But despite their friends' absence, Karen and Jimmy bantered and joked as if old friends, rather than the acquaintances of a few months or casual friends with a mutual friend in common that they were.

They sat at a small table in the corner, working on their second drink. "So, tell me something about you."

"Like what?" he asked, a bit wary.

Karen sighed, "I don't know." She looked around for inspiration. Finding none she looked back at him, "Something… real."

Jimmy looked down, tracing the lines on the table. "Not much to tell-" he said, still staring at the table, "part time student, part time bartender- full time nobody." He looked up with a sardonic smile.

Karen looked at him in consternation, "Why would you say that?" she asked sharply.

He shrugged, looking away, suddenly interested in watching a couple of guys throw darts in the corner.

"So…" Karen cast about for a new topic, "How'd you meet Kyle?"

It didn't do much to lighten the mood, but after a tense moment- Karen worried he was going to decline to answer and insist they leave- he started talking.

Playing with the stir stick in his drink he spoke to the table. "Um, I was a foster kid. His parents drew the short straw and got the troubled teen." Karen waited before responding, not sure what to say- but Jimmy continued before it became an awkward silence.

"Oh, and I did it right," his short laugh lacked all humor, "drinking- drugs… I was the quintessential runaway." He looked at her, his smirk falling flat, "Wouldn't want to disappoint- had to play the part, you know?" He picked at the edge of the table with his thumbnail. "After a while, it wasn't pretending. You really do feel better in the moment." He glanced up to check her reaction- which she hoped was mostly neutral.

Whatever he saw, he decided to continue, "But child services picked me up from the police station one night- I think I'd broken into a liquor store. That's what they said anyway- I don't really remember. There was a store… but that's the extent of my memory of that night- until I woke up in the room downtown."

"A bunch of questions later, they packed me up to take me home. I told them I'd just leave again but they didn't listen."

"Luckily, Dad," the word twisted in his mouth, "was on a bender himself. Half a dozen people were passed out on the floor of our living room. We probably woke him up when we rang the bell."

"As soon as he saw me on the steps and he started swearing and swinging." He paused before continuing, "The lady pushed me behind her and ordered me back to the car- I… I thought he was gonna kill her-"

He traced the line on the table again for a moment.

Karen placed her hand on his, unsure what to say. He took a breath and continued before she could interrupt, "Everything's a blur after that- but a day or so later I was on Kyle's doorstep with that same lady- and the rest is history." He looked up at last, a weak smile forced into place.

"Anyway-" he shook his head and his expression cleared, "he's my best friend," he concluded simply- his eyes serious.

He grinned suddenly- as if determined not to allow the gravity of his words linger, "And he's saved my ass more than once- and usually keeps me out of trouble."

He picked up his drink, looking at her over the rim, "You wouldn't know it to look at him, but you don't want to get on his bad side." His laugh was genuine when he tilted his glass at her, "You could die of frostbite from that cold shoulder."

"I'll consider myself warned then," Karen laughed. She paused, wondering if she should even press her luck with her next question.

What the hell, she thought- she'd probably never have the chance to ask again.

"So what's the deal with you and singing? I mean, you're really good. Like… really, REALLY good- better than most of the guys I'm in class with."

Several emotions passed across his face before it settled into his usual challenging facade. "Hey! Why I am the one spilling my guts here? You got my whole tragic life story," he waved it off as if it were hardly worth mentioning, "You first."

"That's easy," she said, leaning back in her seat with her glass in her hands. "It's what I've always wanted to do." She shrugged.

"You're gonna laugh, but I was the kid that put on concerts for my parents and sang into my hairbrush in the bathroom. And that turned into singing at church…and it wasn't long before people were telling me I was good at it- which fueled the fantasy. So I auditioned for our school's chorus."

"I made it as a freshman into the invitation only group. And I earned a supporting role that year in the musical- and I was hooked."

"I don't care if it's singing, dancing or acting. I don't care if I end up on Broadway or regional theater or TV or releasing an album- or doing karaoke in a bar-" she teased.

"It's the only thing I can ever remembering wanting to do- I just love to perform," she finished.

He nodded, his eyes distant when he said, "Well, you can definitely tell that."

She smiled at him, wondering what he meant by it. Or at least what he was thinking about when he said it.

"You?" she pressed instead, her determination to learn as much as possible about the normally reticent Jimmy undeterred.

He'd argue with a wall- and had no issue making his opinion known on a variety of topics- but getting anything resembling an emotion other than arrogance, anger or amusement was nearly impossible. Tonight was an anomaly that she intended to take full advantage of.

He looked at her for a moment, as if taking her measure before deciding to respond. "My father hated when I sang. My mom did it I guess. I barely remember," he shrugged off the last. "I guess that stuck with me- when I sing- it feels like the rebellion I never had the guts to do when I lived with him."

"I started tinkering around on the piano at Kyle's house when no one was home. They caught me one day- I thought they'd yell at me- throw me out. Instead they tried to get me to take lessons."

"I wouldn't let them waste the money. We argued about it a lot actually. It was just something I did. I think part of me did it just to see if they'd stop me. But I was never serious about it. Just like singing- it's just a silly hobby."

Karen shook her head, "Well, you should be- you're really good."

"Yeah…" he looked away for a moment before the smirk returned. "I'm good at other things too you know."

"Really," Karen almost snorted in disbelief at the turn in conversation. "_That's_ the line you're gonna use?"

Jimmy shrugged, unrepentant. "Depends- is it working?"

She rolled her eyes, "No."

She drained the last of her drink, "But buy me another and you can try again later- maybe it'll give you time to come up with something better."

Jimmy grinned, and signaled the bartender.

/

Much later that night- or more accurately, very early the next morning- Karen woke up.

Her mouth tasted like a foot and she had that unpleasant feeling that a hangover was imminent. Deciding some preemptive Advil and a glass of water would probably help, she started to get out of bed.

A noise of protest behind her and an arm tightening around her waist froze her in place.

An instant later she smiled to herself, remembering the preceding hours. She settled back into bed, the soon to be hangover unimportant for the moment.


	4. Chapter 4

**Sorry this one took a little longer- work deadlines caught up with me. **

**And I went back and forth on a section of it- most has been written since the day after I posted the last one.**

/

*waves* Hello Newsiesforever14! Thanks for the note! I'm trying to update once a week- unless work gets in the way. :)

/

Several hours later, a shrill noise stabbed through Karen's brain. The groan of displeasure beside her was quickly muffled when Jimmy dragged his pillow over his head. "Yours or mine?" he mumbled.

She looked around, "Um, mine I think. Hang on." She fumbled around, finding her phone on the third ring. The number on the display was her agent.

She cleared her throat before answering, "Hello?" Looking back at Jimmy with the pillow still on his head, she stood up and stepped into the living room.

The voice on the other end asked about her schedule for the week, explaining that there was an audition she had lined up for her.

"Really?" Karen had only recently gotten an agent and this was the third audition she'd gotten her. "Um, hang on, let me find a pen." She looked around the unfamiliar apartment, spotting a table in the corner with some papers scattered across the top.

She rifled through the mess, finding a pen and an empty envelope among the mints, keys, bills and other debris that accumulate when one empties their pockets each night.

She jotted down the information and, thanking her agent profusely, hung up the phone. She grinned at the paper in her hand, twirling on the spot.

Which she immediately regretted when her head swam and her stomach lurched. Definitely time for that Advil and water. Setting the pen down on an old bar napkin she turned to go to the kitchen.

She paused and walked back when the writing on the napkin registered in the fog of her brain. They were music notes.

She tugged the corner of napkin, reading the lyrics under the notes. She turned it over, hoping for more. Disappointed, she started to replace the napkin- but noticed another napkin and a bar menu with notes on them as well. Picking them up she was excited to see the continuation of the song.

A noise from the doorway dragged her attention away from the papers in her hand.

"What are you doing?" Jimmy ran a hand through his sleep mussed hair, squinting at her from the doorway.

"Sorry, I was looking for a pen… what are these?" She held up the items in question.

Jimmy fought the urge to jerk them out of her hand, "Nothing," he leaned against the door frame. "Just some junk I scribbled down at work one night." He waved it off.

"I don't think it's junk…"

He walked over, putting his arms around her waist, pulling her close, "Believe me, it is." He leaned back and took the papers from her, setting them back on the table. "It's just stuff that comes to me when work is boring." He kissed her neck, murmuring into the soft skin there, "I can think of a dozen things more interesting than some old napkin..."

She sighed happily, not agreeing, but not disagreeing either.

/

A few hours later, she returned to her apartment.

"Ana? You here? You need to see this."

/

After an hour of demanding the details (and a quick call to Kyle to claim her prize), Ana sat down at their keyboard to play the song Karen brought home.

"Wow. He is really good- you should marry him- if you don't marry him, I will." Ana laughed, poking Karen in the side. "But seriously, that voice, AND he writes like this?" She grinned wickedly, dropping her voice to whisper conspiratorially- complete with dramatically raised eyebrows, "AND he's good in bed?" She faked a swoon.

Karen giggled, "Actually, I said he was amazing in bed…"

Ana placed her hand over her heart, "I stand corrected," she conceded solemnly. "But really- why isn't he pursuing this?"

Karen sighed. "It's complicated."

"What's complicated? You're good, you sing. He clearly doesn't have stage fright- I mean you saw him at karaoke. The guy has great stage presence- and every woman in the place was ready to take him home."

"It just is. But the song is good right? I'm not crazy for thinking so?"

"Uh, yeah."

The conversation mostly ended there, turning to issues of dinner and the essay due Monday. But the song wasn't totally forgotten. More than once Karen caught herself humming it while she was doing dishes or working on her homework.

/

Jimmy called Sunday, asking if Karen wanted to grab dinner Monday night. She agreed and it became the first in a series of dates over the next few weeks. They still hung out as a group on Wednesdays- even karaoked again a few weeks later. But Karen and Jimmy started spending more time alone together- ignoring the smugness of their friends.

Things were going well. Jimmy was happier than Kyle could remember seeing him, and Karen's grin was so big that she walked around looking a moment away from a giggle.

As if sensing her good mood, their Shakespeare professor selected Karen for a particularly brutal line of questions- which luckily she was mostly prepared for. Finding little to criticize, the professor moved on to weaker prey- tossing a glare in Karen's direction. Apparently her buoyancy personally offended Lady Macbeth.

Several weeks into their relationship (for lack of a better word- they'd never really discussed what they were calling it) the foursome met up outside a bar in town. On the window was a flyer advertising Open Mic Night.

Jimmy saw the sign and laughed. "Really?" He shook his head, "Well, at least you aren't expecting me to sing this time."

Karen and Ana shared a smile as they followed the guys inside.

About an hour after they'd finished eating, the guy acting as the MC for the night stepped up to the mic. "And next up we have Karen Cartwright who will be singing an untitled piece." He scanned the audience, "Karen?"

Kyle and Jimmy looked at her in surprise as she stood up to take the stage. Ana squeezed her arm and wished her luck.

"So, you guys planned this?" Kyle whispered across the table. "Isn't the waiting list for this place over a month long?" Ana shrugged.

Jimmy watched as Karen took her place at the microphone, taking a breath and nodding at the musicians behind her. The first chords from the piano sang out as Karen waited for her cue. She began quietly, "You can push me away I can take it…"

Jimmy watched, mesmerized as ever when Karen sang. He'd heard the song before- its familiarity tickled the back of his head, but he ignored it- he could ask her when she was done.

Karen had found her rhythm and her voice grew. As the first verse drew to a close she closed her eyes, "Hear it thunder… and I wonder... How long can I hang on?" She threw her arms wide and her head back to belt the chorus, "I'm caught in the storm… I'm caught in the rain…"

The smile fell from Jimmy's face and his stomach turned, making him feel suddenly ill. He recognized the song now.

It was HIS song. The one he'd taken from her hand all those weeks ago.

What the HELL?

He shifted in his seat, looking around the room at the strangers nodding along with Karen- with his music. Music that was personal- not meant for anyone to hear. Ever.

His fidgeting drew the attention of Kyle. The horror must have been evident on his face because his grin disappeared when he saw Jimmy's reaction. "You ok?" he mouthed at Jimmy.

Jimmy narrowed his eyes at his friend. "Did you have anything to do with this?" he hissed.

Kyle scooted his chair closer to Jimmy to be able to talk, "What are you talking about?"

"The song," he spat out. "Did you give them my song?"

Kyle blinked at him, "This is one of yours?" He looked at Karen and back at Jimmy, the full weight of what was happening dawning on him. "And… you didn't give it to her," he finished slowly.

The tightening of Jimmy's jaw gave him all the answer he needed.

"Oh." He looked back at Karen, "Oh boy," he sighed to himself.

By the end of the song Jimmy's face was carved from stone, his eyes glittering in suppressed anger. He sat so rigidly in his chair that Kyle worried he may have vibrated apart if the song had had any more verses.

Ana applauded and whistled for Karen, not noticing the statue of rage sitting behind her.

Karen took a quick bow and started toward the table.

A few feet away, her eyes found Jimmy's. Instead of the smile she expected she met narrowed eyes and a clenched jaw. Without a word he stood up and left.

Confused and a little hurt, she followed him outside, Kyle and Ana not far behind.

"Jimmy!" she called to his back. When he didn't respond she called again. "Jimmy! Stop! Talk to me- please!"

He stopped but didn't turn. "Go away, Karen."

"Not until you talk to me." She continued forward until she was even with him.

She touched his arm gently, and he jerked away, but held his ground- refusing to look at her.

She put her hands up, but pressed on, "I knew you might get a little mad but..."

"You had NO right!" he cut her off. He looked up at her then, his eyes cold, "That music belongs to me." He jabbed at his chest with two fingers. "And I told you I didn't want this! How could you?!" The betrayal in his voice was at war with the anger.

"I write for me. It's not for you- and it's not for anyone else." He paused to catch his breath. "You made a fool out of me."

"Are you kidding?" Ana interjected from behind Karen. "Did you see everyone in there? They loved it!"

"Stay out of this," he shot at Ana.

He turned back to Karen, "And I don't care if they loved it or hated it. It wasn't yours to decide. Leave my music alone." He shook his head, his voice fell, "You had no right," he repeated- weaker this time. His arms circled his chest, and he hunched forward for a moment, as if he was about to be sick.

Karen stared at him, arm outstretched to comfort him, but remembering clearly his reaction moments before.

Before she could touch him, he straightened- anger flashing in his eyes again, "Don't call me. We're done." Without another word- and before Karen could react- he stormed off down the street, never looking back to see if Kyle was following.

With an apologetic look he did, motioning that he'd call them later.

Karen stood rooted to the spot in disbelief.


	5. Chapter 5

**Thanks for the comments and the follow! **

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/

Jimmy had gone immediately home that night, hoping to drink himself into forgetting the entire night. He was almost successful.

The problem was his phone. It started ringing far too early the next day.

The first time it rang, he swiped it on and then immediately hung up. He turned it to vibrate and buried his head in his pillows.

Thirty minutes later the phone started vibrating. "What the HELL?" he grumbled. "Who calls at this ungodly hour?" Glancing at the clock, he realized it was actually well past lunch.

He swiped his phone and growled into it, "What?"

The voice on the other end introduced himself and explained that they'd heard his song and wanted to meet with him to hear more. Jimmy hung up the phone.

A few minutes later it rang again, the display showing the same number. Apparently they couldn't take a hint- or hoped they had had a bad connection. Jimmy stared blankly at the phone before turning it off.

"How did they even FIND me?" he wondered out loud.

For the rest of the day he ignored his phone- startling Kyle when he tossed it across the couch causing it to disappear into the cushions.

Kyle didn't ask, just raised his eyebrows before taking his drink and notebook into his room. He was no stranger to Jimmy's moods. And this wasn't going to be something Kyle could make better- not until Jimmy'd had a few days to sulk about it anyway (not that he'd call it that in front of Jimmy).

/

On Monday Karen got to class early hoping to talk to Kyle before it started. Ana was sick, waking up that morning and rushing to the bathroom. She'd asked Karen to bring her laptop so she didn't have to leave the floor in front of the toilet.

Sick or not, her paper was going to be on time.

"Hey!" Karen greeted him brightly, her grin just a little too wide. "So… how was your weekend?"

Kyle raised his eyebrow at her, but smiled wryly. "How do you think it was?" He shook his head. "But hey- I got a lot done. Not a whole lot else to do in my room."

Karen grimaced. "Sorry… I probably should have talked to you about it first." She sighed, "I just wanted him to see how good he is- I thought if he didn't have to put himself out there it'd be ok…"

"Yeah, well- he's always been really private about his music. I don't even get to hear or see half of it. Usually he throws it away."

Karen scratched her cheek, "So, um… did he get any calls?" She toyed with a stray piece of hair.

"Um, yeah- though his phone was buried in the couch for most of the weekend- why?" Kyle's eyes narrowed, "Wait- what did you do?"

"Um… I may have…"

Just then their professor walked in and all conversation ceased.

Karen turned around abruptly, but not before seeing Kyle mouth, "Later" out of the corner of her eye.

/

After class ended, the students stood up, putting on jackets and gathering their books. Kyle grabbed Karen by the elbow, "Coffee, now."

"But we have class!" Karen protested.

Kyle sighed, "Fine- but you're gonna spill on the way there. Mine was cancelled- so I have all the time in the world."

On the ten minute walk Karen explained that after Jimmy and Kyle left Karen and Ana had gone back inside to get their things. Karen was stopped by several people handing her cards, asking for her information- wanting to hear more of her music.

She admitted that after telling them it wasn't her song that she had given them Jimmy's name and number. "I didn't even think about it, really. I just didn't want to take credit for it." She turned to him, her eyes pleading, "He's really good, Kyle. Really, really good. Everyone was talking about it."

Kyle ran his hand through his hair, "I know. Believe me- I know. I tried to get him to write some songs for me- for that play I was working on. I thought maybe it could be a musical. But he refused, so I dropped it."

He shrugged, quiet for a moment, watching their feet on the pavement. He looked up, chewing his cheek. "You know what? Maybe this is a good thing. We just have to make him see it." He glanced at Karen, her face suddenly hopeful. "Umm...Maybe I should talk to him first?"

She tilted her head, agreeing, "Yeah… I doubt he'd listen to much I have to say right now…"

They parted ways at the arts building, promising to meet up on Wednesday night as usual. Jimmy wouldn't be able to make it- Kyle was fairly sure he'd deliberately picked up the extra shift while at work on Sunday.

Kyle headed toward the on campus coffee shop. Once he had coffee in hand he texted Ana, letting her know he hoped she felt better soon.

Putting his phone aside, he turned his thoughts to his roommate and how to make him see reason.

Rarely an easy task.

/

About a week later Jimmy was still grumping around the apartment, still refusing any sort of social gathering and still ignoring his phone- unless the ringtone told him it was Kyle. He usually answered if Kyle called.

"Ok, enough."

Jimmy looked up at his roommate in surprise, spoon hanging out of his mouth. "What?"

"I'm tired of you acting like the world has wronged you. I mean, did slamming the silverware drawer really make you feel better?"

Jimmy shrugged, "Maybe a little."

"It's been a week. Teenagers and three year olds throw shorter tantrums than you."

"Really Kyle? You think I'm overreacting? She STOLE my song!"

Kyle nodded vigorously, eyes wide. "I know!" His voice cracked in mock outrage.

"Blow me, Kyle." Jimmy turned to leave the kitchen.

"Um, no- that was Karen's job- but you stopped speaking to her." Jimmy rolled his eyes, refusing to dignify that with a response.

"Jimmy. Stop." Jimmy paused, his foot on the bottom stair to his loft.

"Seriously- what are you so mad about? I mean- yes- she should have told you-" Jimmy whirled around, mouth open to protest. Kyle waved him off, "Er, asked- but she did it to help you!"

"I don't NEED anyone's help!"

"Really. What's your plan, Jimmy? You gonna work at that bar forever?"

"Hey! I take classes!" he defended himself.

"Last semester. You took what? Two classes? Which were unrelated to the two the semester before- or the three classes you took the year before that. You've avoided anything resembling a major for four years!"

Jimmy started a retort that Kyle cut off before it could begin, "Yeah. I know- you don't want to owe anyone anything- but you can't just blame this on money. My parents offered to pay for it and let you pay them back if you were determined to. And you still refused."

Jimmy huffed and stared over Kyle's shoulder, his face blank. Kyle shifted over a step into his eyeline. His face and toned softened, "Jimmy- they love you. And Karen loves you. And you're my brother- my stubborn, irritating brother- but I love you too- and we want nothing but the best for you. Why can't you want that for yourself?"

Jimmy's shoulders slumped, and blinking rapidly, his gaze shifted to the floor. He shook his head.

"I'm going to bed," he mumbled before turning and fleeing up the stairs.

Kyle sighed, leaning back heavily onto the island. "Did that even help?" he wondered aloud, the whisper not carrying further than his own ears.

He turned to tidy up the kitchen before bed- he needed to get some sleep too. He had a test in the morning.

/

The next morning Kyle came into the kitchen to find coffee made, but lacking a roommate.

A note sat on the island next to a small flashdrive.

"Kyle-

Here's everything I've written. Look at it, throw it away, show it to whoever- I don't care. I'm not saying you're right- but maybe... maybe I do need a new plan.

Went for a walk. See you tonight. Good luck on your test.

-J"

Kyle packed his bag with a smile and slipped the flashdrive in his pocket before closing the door behind him. It might be a good day after all.

/

The test was murder, but Karen was so happy afterwards when he told her about the flashdrive she nearly levitated off the ground. She took it, hugged Kyle with a squeal and dashed off almost before he could blink. "I'll call you!" she yelled over her shoulder.

Ana rolled her eyes, "I hope she remembers we have class in fifteen minutes."

He laughed, "You may want to take notes for her- I doubt she'll be paying much attention even if she IS there."

Ana agreed, shifting her bag on her shoulder. "We'll see you Wednesday night, right? Maybe bring Jimmy if he wants to come."

"I'll try."

"You're a good friend Kyle- to both of them." She kissed his cheek and headed off in the direction Karen had gone.

/

By Wednesday Jimmy still wasn't ready to face the group- but did give grudging permission via Kyle to let Ana, Karen and their friend Sam record some demos of his songs. They were able to schedule time in the school's recording studio the following week.

He even agreed to sit in the booth when they recorded his music. And by agreed he meant he'd finally given in to Kyle's insistent nagging.

The trio had decided to record "Heart Shaped Wreckage" as a duet between Karen and Sam, "Caught in the Storm" sung by Ana- in case hearing Karen sing it again caused Jimmy to Hulk out and "I Can't Let Go" would be sung by Karen.

Sam was running late so the girls cut their tracks first. Watching Karen sing, Jimmy barely noticed Ana checking her phone beside him.

"Oh damn."

"What?" Kyle leaned across him. "Everything ok?"

She turned her phone toward him, "Sam's sick. He's not gonna make it today. That means we can't do "Heart Shaped Wreckage"! This sucks!"

Kyle was quiet for a minute, "Or…" he cut his eyes to Jimmy, "You could do it."

Jimmy's hands flew up defensively. "No. No, no, no, no, no." He stood up and backed away. "I'm just here to watch." He pointed at Kyle, "You promised."

"But we can't get the studio again for like two months! Someone cancelled last minute for us to get this slot!"

Jimmy crossed his arms, shrugging. "Ok."

"Jimmy." Kyle said, exasperated, "It's just a demo- and you can do it- you know you can. It's not like it will end up on the radio. No one is asking you to give a concert."

Karen came out of the booth in time to hear the last. "If you don't want to sing with me because you think it'd be weird- you could sing with Ana. I mean, I'm fine- but if you're not…"

He rolled his eyes. "This is SO not about you, Karen." He looked between the girls and his roommate. "Fine. Fine! Clearly nothing I say or want matters. Let's just get this over with." He stormed into the booth, grabbing the nearest pair of headphones.

"Hey, Karen! You coming or what? I thought you were FINE with this?" he called through the speakers.

She squeezed Kyle's arm and walked back inside.

She couldn't help but think that singing this song with a guy who nearly hated her was strangely appropriate.

/

A few days later, Kyle sat at the island eating his cereal when his phone pinged, letting him know he had a text message.

"Karen: Have you been online this morning?

Kyle: No… I just woke up.

Karen: You probably should.

Kyle: Link?

Karen: Take your pick. Twitter, YouTube- almost anywhere.

Kyle: K…"

Kyle pulled up his browser and after a cursory search found what Karen was talking about. Oh Hel..

"KYLE!" Jimmy's angry shriek told him he'd seen it too.

With several million views, "Heart Shaped Wreckage" was the latest internet obsession.


	6. Chapter 6

**I'm visiting family this weekend, so this only got a quick pass in editing. If you see something let me know- and I may give it another pass sometime soon- but I wanted to get it up before the weekend was over.**

**Thanks for the reviews, favorites and followers! And great to hear from you FandomFangirlsForever (formerly Harijaku- of course I remember *waves ecstatically*)**

**/**

In the short week the video had been online it had been viewed nearly nine million times- and the number continued to rise. Jimmy himself was responsible for several dozen of the hits. He couldn't help it. It was like a train wreck he couldn't look away from.

According to Kyle no one knew who recorded it. The account was new and without enlisting the authorities- or a hacker- not easily traceable. Jimmy had entertained the idea before quickly dismissing it. It was too late anyway- it was already out there.

He hit the replay button again. He heard (for the probably fortieth time) his voice start the song. He remembered not being able to look at her, singing instead to his hands, his fingers picking at his nails.

Without meaning to, he'd looked up at her when he sang 'Remind me what we were before...' She'd been looking away, avoiding him as much as he her he supposed.

He'd felt safe then, watching her sing- her eyes closed- the first lines of the song.

"I don't know much but I know myself, and I don't wanna love anybody else," his luck ran out then, as she opened her eyes and looked at him. With a small shake of her head, her eyes cut quickly away, before closing again to finish the verse.

Jimmy watched his anger dissipate as he sang the chorus. It was like he forgot the last few weeks- the sting of her betrayal (and the added injustice of having to record a song himself that he never really wanted sung).

It was Karen. The effect she had on him was inexplicable. It was embarrassing really, the way he was captivated by her when she sang. Apparently being mad at her didn't lessen her siren's thrall over him.

He remembered writing that song- half autobiographical and half inspired by Kyle's characters. However, the lyrics were more appropriate that day in the studio than when he wrote them.

And the comments… hundreds of comments- he wasn't sure if they made it better or worse.

Musicgurl2000 said, "Why don't u 2 just rip my heart out? Oh wait- u already did. Great song! Love it!"

youstolemyname simply left symbols: "3 3 3"

Ashley0518 said: "I can relate to this on so many levels. Hitting replay for the 10th time."

And SarafromNY hit too close to home when she commented: "I feel like these two have history- just me? Ok. #acting :) Love this song! AMAZING!"

Feeling rather like Ashley0518, he hit the little arrow, starting the song again.

/

Across town, Karen was making her own contributions to the hit count. She couldn't help it. Watching the video gave her hope.

Obviously some of the commenters thought they recorded it in character- their pain and stolen looks reflecting acting choices to enhance the meaning of the song.

But Jimmy was no actor- and Karen hadn't been one that day.

It was so awkward at first- she couldn't even look at him, worried for what she might see on his face. When she had nowhere else to look, she closed her eyes. But as she sang, she couldn't help a glance at him.

And, just her luck- he'd seen.

Chewing her cheek, she looked down as he began the first version of the chorus- but she could feel his eyes, still on her.

She looked up at his words, "We can start over, better…"- his eyes and face were as broken as the song.

She held his gaze as long as he allowed, but continued to sing to him when he looked away during her verse. The start of the line, "Our love is still the best thing I've ever known," prompted him to look up again- whether in preparation for the harmony of the chorus or the resonating truth of the verse she wasn't sure. Having his attention though- whatever the reason- she threw all her emotion into those words.

The plea of the chorus was more powerful the second time as they held each others' gaze. Breathing together, their voices rose and fell in harmony.

Her eyes had searched his face, trying to parse what he was thinking.

As the last notes faded into nothing, the two of them had remained frozen, eyes locked, breathing heavily- whether from the exertion of the song or the emotion behind it- neither knew. Both probably.

The spell was broken (both the day of the recording and when watching) when a voice came over the speakers, "Yes! We got…" and the video abruptly ended.

Karen remembered all too well what had happened after that- even without video record, it played in her mind just as clearly.

Jimmy had blinked a few times before giving a tight smile to the figures behind the glass. A beat passed as he stared at the ground, then looked back at her. She smiled at him, "That was…" she began.

He nodded once, taking off his headphones and leaving the booth.

By the time she'd recovered enough to move, he was gone.

She remembered talking to Kyle and Ana and the guys who'd done the recording. She remembered hearing words like "ready by…" and "could be big" but had been able to do nothing but nod.

Watching the end of the video for at least the twentieth time, she was certain he felt _something_. His eyes and face were a study of raw emotion. There was no way it was all an act, right? Neither of them had known it was being filmed- and he definitely hadn't planned to sing that day. And she hadn't been acting.

It had to be real, right?

Not that it mattered. He still wasn't talking to her. She'd tried calling him, left voicemails and sent unanswered texts.

She checked her phone for the hundredth time in the last few days.

Irritated at the silence, she stood up and dug in her closet for a pair of shoes. If he wouldn't answer her calls, she'd make him talk to her in person. This thing between them wasn't as over as he claimed. Nearly ten million people were witnesses.

/

Jimmy had dragged himself away from YouTube long enough to make himself a sandwich he barely felt like eating.

He stood at the sink, picking at the sandwich, taking a bite whenever Kyle shot a look his way. His roommate had been oddly quiet about reclusive habits this week. Jimmy had called into work- something he almost never did- to avoid the inevitable questions and stares from his coworkers and customers. He couldn't hide forever, but he hoped the internet mania would settle soon and people would forget about it.

The few times Kyle had caught him watching the video, he had opened his mouth as if to speak, before changing his mind. But, given the growing concern on his face, Jimmy was betting his luck was about to run out.

Jimmy's phone rang and without looking at the display, answered it- glad to escape the conversation he knew was coming.

He should know better. And you should always be careful what you wish for.

"Jimmy!" the voice on the line chilled his blood.

"Um, no- you have the wrong number," he tried to erase the last ten seconds.

The voice laughed, "Good try, son- but I'd know your voice anywhere- even if you did change your name on me- and it seems we have a lot to talk about. You have time for your old man, don't you?" The threat implied in his tone kept Jimmy from hanging up.

"What do you want?" The growl he hoped to convey was made less effective by the wary sigh that betrayed him.

"A father needs a reason to catch up with his boy? It's been what? Ten years?"

Jimmy turned away from Kyle, walking toward the back of the apartment, "Seven," he gritted out, "and I'd be happy to pretend this call never happened, to keep the streak alive."

"Oh no, no, no. See, you went and got famous on me. A father should be proud of his son, right? And I figure, a famous boy can help his father out…"

"It's a video on the internet- not a record deal. No money- sorry to disappoint you- but I guess you're used to that."

"Yeah? Well, maybe you should see about that- or maybe your little friends would like to know some things about their buddy _Jimmy._"

Jimmy laughed bitterly, "You think they don't know?"

"Then maybe I pay them a visit- get to know them a little better. I should really be a bigger part of your life, Jimmy. And now that I know where you are… we should really get together soon. That little girlfriend of yours is awfully pretty."

"You don't know shit. Or you wouldn't be calling. I don't know how you got this number, but believe me- it won't be the same tomorrow. Stay away from me, and stay away from my friends!"

Jimmy hung up. He gripped the edges of the bathroom sink to stop his hands from shaking.

With a deep breath and a look in the mirror to make sure he hadn't suddenly become the fifteen year old version of himself he felt like, he walked back to the kitchen.

He paced aimlessly, opening cabinets and drawers, trying to gather his thoughts.

"Uh, Jimmy? You ok?"

He'd meant to keep his cool- but all it took was Kyle breaking the silence to make him lose it. Jimmy slammed the cabinet he'd opened. "Yeah, Kyle- I'm great!"

He threw his hands in the air. "Just fucking awesome. I have a video on the internet that everyone I've ever known has seen- including my father- he says hi by the way- a girlfriend - excuse me- an ex-girlfriend who won't stop calling- and I have no idea what to say to her. Hell, I don't even know what I WANT from her or you or… LIFE anymore."

He spun around, pointing a finger at Kyle, "This is all your fault- you made me hang out with them- you told me to let them record that song... you MADE me SING it! I never wanted any of that. We were fine before them!" He jabbed his chest with his fingers, "I was fine!"

He leaned heavily on his hands, staring at the wood grain of the island. His breath was coming in gasps, "And now he's found me." He punched the wood surface- not hard enough to break anything, but hard enough to feel something other than the swirl of emotion in his chest. "He found me and everything is ruined and I don't know what to do."

He looked up at Kyle, eyes shining, "What do I do? Tell me what to do-" his voice trailed off, sounding much like the little boy Kyle was pretty sure Jimmy had never had the chance to be.

Lacking the words he needed to help his best friend, Kyle pulled Jimmy into a hug,

They stood like that until Kyle felt Jimmy relax.

With a sniff, Jimmy pulled back, looking away. "Thanks, man-" he scrubbed a hand up the back of his head and neck, "Sorry. Just wasn't expecting that today, ya know?" he said gruffly.

Kyle nodded, "It'll be ok, Jimmy. This will all blow over and your dad will forget about it. And Karen…"

He was interrupted by a knock on the door.

Jimmy looked wild eyed at Kyle, worried for a moment that his dad actually had found him as he'd threatened. Kyle waved him back and opened the door a crack.

"Karen!" his voice nearly cracked in surprise and relief. "Um, Jimmy? It's Karen…"

Jimmy crept around the door slowly. "What are you doing here?" he demanded.

Karen tilted her head, taking in Jimmy's appearance. His eyes were darting around, checking the hall behind her, flicking to Kyle and back again to Karen and the hall.

"Come in," Kyle pulled her by the arm and shut the door quickly, locking it.

"Um, ok," she nodded at Kyle. "Actually," she looked at Jimmy, "I was hoping we could talk?"

He looked down, shoving his hands in his back pockets, "It's uh, not a good time, Karen."

"You've been avoiding my calls- I just want to talk to you."

"Maybe you should have taken the hint, instead of a cab then."

She rolled her eyes, "I took the subway."

He sighed, wishing she'd taken the bait and yelled at him. Or left. It would have been easier.

"Go home, Karen. I told you- we're done. There's nothing to talk about." He started to move toward the stairs.

She moved with him, blocking his path. "That's not true- and you know it."

He sighed. "Yeah, it is. I'm not good for you Karen- you shouldn't want to be with me. I'm…" he shook his head, "It's better if we don't see each other anymore."

"Jimmy! Don't say that!" She took a step toward him, reaching for his arm. He backed away from her.

"Goodbye, Karen." He moved around her and fled up the stairs, pulling the curtain behind him.

She looked at Kyle helplessly.

/

She spent the next days moping about the apartment while trying to focus on studying for her exams.

Every time the phone rang, her heart leapt hoping Jimmy had changed his mind. And every time it was Ana, her parents or a classmate she had to hide her disappointment before answering the phone.

She was studying for her music theory exam when her phone rang one afternoon. Checking the display, she saw it was her agent.

"Hello?"

"Oh my God! You're joking!"

"Wait, when?"

"Wow. Um, ok! Ok! Thank you so much!"

"Yeah, ok- let me know."

She hung up and stared at her phone in disbelief.

"Karen?" Ana came out of her room where she'd been studying. "What's going on? Everything ok?"

Karen looked at her blankly for a minute. "Um, that was Linda. I got the part. They want me in LA in two weeks- right after graduation. And uh… there might be someone interested in a record deal… they saw the video- asked to hear more."

Ana's eyes went wide. "Karen! Are you serious?!"

Karen nodded.

Ana launched herself at her roommate, the two squealed, jumping around in celebration.

"Don't forget the little people when you're a big star, ok?" Ana sighed dramatically as she flopped on the couch a few minutes later.

Karen laughed, joining Ana on the couch, "So come with me! We could room together!"

Ana shook her head, "I've got that call back for that new show next week- and several auditions here. But if I'm ever in LA- I'm looking you up. And I'm not sleeping on the couch- so make sure they're paying you enough to have a guest room."

Despite Ana's attempt to lighten the mood, the reality of graduation and their diverging life paths was setting in.

Ana cleared her throat, and patted Karen on the knee. "We should get back to studying. But seriously- congrats." She held out her hand and pulled Karen off the couch to hug her again. "You're gonna be great!"

The two friends held each other tightly before returning to their studies.

The evening passed quietly, each lost in their own thoughts about their futures.

/

"So, how'd it go? Did you cry? Did she sacrifice a small child?" Jimmy asked from where he sat, eating an apple and peanut butter before work.

Kyle laughed, "It… well it's over. I think I passed- and that is ALL I care about at this point."

He fell onto the kitchen stool, and dropped his head onto his folded arms, "Two summer classes and I am DONE!" He groaned, the sound muffled by the countertop, "I am so jealous of Ana and Karen right now. They graduate in a week!"

Jimmy froze with the apple slice halfway to his mouth- he'd forgotten about graduation.

"So, they have any plans after graduation?" he tried to ask casually.

Kyle looked up, his eyes sad. "Um… I thought I told you." He shifted uncomfortably on his stool, "Karen got a job- she's moving."


	7. Chapter 7

_Thanks for the reviews, follows and favorites. As always- you all are awesome! _

_To 'Guest' who posted,__** "**__damn son, that's pretty tasty" - I have to admit I laughed out loud and was (and still am) alternately super flattered and super amused by your comment. Probably one of my favorite things ever. So thanks!_ _(I'm also very curious as to which part/parts were so tasty- or if it was a general comment about the entire fic.)_

/

**I just noticed that I changed the layout of Jimmy and Kyle's apartment. At the start of the fic it was one level and in the last few chapters it's been the same layout as in the show. Poop. (And sorry...) I'll get around to fixing it one day- but as it doesn't affect the fic in any major way I'm gonna let it ride until I get this finished. **

**Also, sorry about the delay on this chapter- the last couple weeks have been crazy. And this one did NOT want to be written. Not sure what the issue was- but it was stubborn. **

**And finally, apologies in advance for any errors. I only did a quick edit before posting since it's been two weeks since I updated.**

/

In his mind, Jimmy imagined everything would be easier once Karen left. He could start moving on. She wouldn't be around, Kyle wouldn't talk about her all the time, life would go back to normal. He was relieved.

Or he tried to be.

But as he was all too familiar with, life didn't work out as planned.

The week of graduation came and went. He worked extra shifts - it was good money- all those families in town for graduation meant more people eating out. And the restaurant needed the help- half the staff had company visiting.

And he'd already said goodbye to Karen- it's not like there was anything else to say.

Though apparently his subconscious disagreed. His dreams were plagued with memories of Karen, of her smile, her laugh- of futures with her that would never be- of apologies and kisses and… Karen.

Always Karen. Dammit- why couldn't he get her out of his head?

And now it was starting to seep into his waking hours too. The other day at work he'd had to ask a customer three times what their drink order was. He was dropping plates, tripping over the bar rugs and forgetting to ask for side items on meals- mistakes he NEVER made.

All it would take was for a brunette of approximately Karen's build to walk through the restaurant and Jimmy's concentration was gone. Even after he determined it wasn't her, his distraction persisted.

Once again, he was in bed, trying to sleep. And once again it eluded him. He was adjusting his pillow to turn over when lyrics popped into his head unbidden.

"So sing to me, and I will forgive you- for taking my heart in the suitcase you packed…"

His laugh was bitter to his own ears. He'd meant his heart to stay firmly in his chest- he'd done everything he could to keep it there- and yet somehow she managed to steal it away anyway.

And now she was gone. LA had called her name and she'd run off.

Not that he'd tried to stop her. Hell, he'd pushed her out the door- nearly literally- just a few days before she got the call to go.

He ran his hand through his hair and blew out a sigh. Realizing sleep wasn't going to come soon, he got up and padded down the stairs to the piano.

Maybe if he got the song out of his head he could sleep.

/

"...Oh, and nothing comes easy when everyone's rushing  
>I thought I could love you, I thought I could love you"<p>

His voice and the last notes faded as he dropped his hands from the keys and sat, breathing heavier, staring at the keyboard.

"Wow. Did you just write that?" Kyle's voice snapped him out of his reverie.

"What? Um. Yeah. It's nothing. Just couldn't get it out of my head." Jimmy shook the offending body part and gave his roommate an apologetic smile, "Sorry if I woke you."

Kyle shook his head once, but was silent. He studied his roommate for a minute, considering his words. "You could call her, you know…" he offered quietly.

Jimmy closed his eyes and sighed. "I doubt she'd want to talk to me after the things I said."

Kyle shrugged, "You never know until you try."

Jimmy stood up. "I'm going to bed." He clapped Kyle on the shoulder as he passed, "You should too."

"Night!" he called from the stairs.

/

The days and weeks passed and instead of getting easier, it was worse. His boss was getting irritated with him, even mentioned in passing their random drug testing policy.

If only his problem were drugs- that'd be less painful.

He'd be lying to say the idea hadn't crossed his mind- but he'd walked away from that life years ago- and he wasn't about to visit now. And Kyle would kill him.

On the way to his dinner shift, he stopped at a coffee shop. Maybe coffee would shake him out of the fog that had lingered since she left. Not that it'd helped so far- but hey, today was a new day, right?

He pushed through the doors and stopped almost immediately, nearly getting run over by another customer who was following behind him too closely.

She was there. KAREN was there. Sitting at a table not ten feet from where he stood.

He closed his eyes and, pinching himself to be sure he wasn't mistaken- again- he reopened them.

It was her. There was no mistaking it at this distance. He just didn't know why- or how- it was possible.

There was also no mistaking that she wasn't alone. Her laugh and the man laying his hand over her arm, his fingers gently stroking the skin there, couldn't be hallucinated either.

With his stomach located somewhere near his toes, and his heart in his throat, Jimmy turned and fled out the door, bowling over a petite woman who'd just opened the door. He muttered a half assed apology and focused on the concrete beneath his feet and getting as far away from that scene as fast as possible.

/

Kyle came home later that night to find Jimmy in their kitchen.

"Uh, shouldn't you be at work?"

Jimmy tipped his full shot glass in Kyle's direction before swallowing it down, "Yup."

"Ok…" Kyle said slowly, waiting for Jimmy to explain. Instead, he watched Jimmy pour himself another shot. When it became obvious that no explanation would be forthcoming Kyle put his hand over the (now) empty glass and took the bottle from Jimmy's hand.

"Hey! I was using that!" he protested.

"I can see that- it was full when I left." He looked at his friend closely, "Why aren't you at work?" Realization dawned, "Oh God. You didn't get fired did you?" Kyle was well aware of Jimmy's trouble at work.

"Ha," he barked bitterly, "No. I mean... I don't think so." Jimmy shrugged, pitching himself off balance, causing him to nearly fall off the stool.

"Ok, then what prompted the two man party between you and Jack?"

Jimmy made another grab for the bottle. "I'm hoping that it'll make me forget that I saw Karen and her new boyfriend today. I hear alcohol kills brain cells." He wrestled the bottle out of Kyle's grasp. Ignoring the shot glass, he tipped it up to drink out of the bottle, 'She's in town by the way- did you know?" His question was meant to be at least half joking, but the lightness was lost in delivery. The bottle thunked on the island heavily, the liquid sloshing against the sides.

Kyle's answering nod was nearly non-existent. Jimmy stared at him in disbelief.

"And you didn't tell me?" Jimmy's voice rose an octave.

"I didn't think you'd want to know." Jimmy pushed himself off the stool, stumbling as his feet tried to find purchase on the floor. "Jimmy…"

"Did you know about the boyfriend too?" he demanded. He grabbed his stomach, "I think I'm going to be sick." He lurched for the sink, gripping the metal rim, shoulders heaving as he tried to steady himself and his stomach.

Kyle watched helplessly, unsure what he should do. It wasn't like Jimmy needed him to hold his hair back- and he probably wouldn't appreciate Kyle rubbing his back.

"I didn't know about him. I swear- she just said she had to meet with some people here. She wanted to get lunch with me and Ana before she left. That's all," Kyle pleaded with Jimmy's back.

Jimmy nodded, still taking deep breaths. "I think I'm gonna go lay down." He turned, forcing a tight smile before climbing the stairs slowly, his hand gripping the wall for support.

"Yeah," Kyle sighed to himself. Spotting his phone beside his hand, he snatched it up, tapping the button to dial as he exited the apartment, closing the door behind him.

It was answered on the second ring, "Kyle!"

"Hey Karen. Um, hey listen…"

"You ok, Kyle?" Karen asked, concerned.

"Yeah," Kyle ran a hand down his face, shaking his head. He should of thought about what he wanted to say before he called. "Um, look. I know it's your choice and all, and Jimmy is an idiot- but did you meet someone the second you got off the plane? I mean you've been there like three weeks! And did you have to bring him here with you?"

Karen was silent for a moment and Kyle worried he'd made her angry.

"What are you talking about Kyle?" she finally asked slowly.

"He saw you!" Kyle burst out.

"Who saw what?" Karen's confusion had reached new heights.

Kyle sighed. "_Jimmy_. Saw you. With some guy- your new boyfriend apparently." Kyle paused, "You didn't tell me you were bringing anyone- or that you were dating anyone. Not that it's any of his business- but I would have thought you'd have mentioned it to me."

Karen laughed, relieved to finally know what was going on. "I'm not dating anyone. The only guy I've seen since I got here last night was some sleazy producer." Karen shivered.

"He kept touching me- and talking about how great we'd be together. _Professionally_ of course…" Kyle could hear the eye roll in her voice. "I told my agent I didn't want to work with him. But, I have one more meeting tomorrow morning. I was hoping we could grab lunch after- if you still want to."

"Uh, yes! Of course! Is Ana coming too?" Kyle had missed his friends. Ana had been busy working and Kyle had been stuck inside studying. Summer classes sucked.

"Yup."

Kyle grinned, looking forward to the next day. He turned to head back inside. Seeing his door though reminded him of the friend on the other side of it.

"Hey, Karen-" he began.

"Yeah?"

"Um, I think you should talk to him. Not that you owe him one or anything- but you know- um, to explain things to him." Kyle toed the door frame, debating his next words, "He was pretty torn up about… things."

She sighed, "He won't listen to me, Kyle- you know that."

He nodded into his phone, chewing his cheek, "But you don't even want to try?"

/

**Let me know what you think so far! Leave me a comment/ send me a message/ come find me on Tumblr- our little fandom is so small- it would be awesome to talk with some other Karen/Jimmy/ Smash fans! **

**Thanks for reading! Probably one chapter left.**


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